Rosa Obmolior
by DracoShagMe
Summary: He's restless and tired. And when he starts seeing them too often, he starts vomiting. What's absurd is, Draco Malfoy is vomiting petals and he doesn't know why.
1. Chapter 1

Note: Rosa Obmolior. To throw up rose in latin. Hope you enioy reading! And do leave reviews!

"You made flowers grow in my lungs and, although they are beautiful, I cannot breathe." -Unknown

* * *

Sweat dripped down his pale face as he panted, holding onto his knee as he caught his breath while clutching his books and bags close to his chest. A pompous Gryffindor shoved him forward which caused him to stumble slightly. "Watch where you are going, ferret." He sneered and traipsed up. The blond glared and composed himself. He kept silent until he arrived at the Astronomy Tower.

His eyes searched for a familiar head and, fortunately, he spotted Nott waving jovially at him and patting the space beside him. He trudged towards the dark-haired boy and grumbled. "So, you finished the essay?"

The blond brooding Slytherin scowled. "Of course, I did. What do you take me for after all the years?" He sneered and produced his nine page essay from his leather bag.

"Well, for one, I thought you wouldn't because you look tired and all that shite." Theo reached for his friend's essay and scanned it. "Dammit, I knew Lydia Burnham was the one who created that scope! I didn't put it in because I wasn't sure." Draco frowned and snatched his essay from his friend's grasp.

"Oi, you'll get fingerprints all over it. I've spent all night writing it."

Theo pursed his lips indignantly, thinking of his incomplete essay. "All night, eh? I've finished mine the other day. What in Salazar Slytherin's pit are you doing all week?"

The blond brushed his fringe away from his face and widened his eyes as he coughed. "I've been sick."

"A cough? You could always get a Pepperup potion from the infirmary, you know." Theo suggested.

"Do you think I haven't fucking tried that yet?" Draco growled and lightly hammered his chest where, he supposed, his lungs were. He had been coughing for a while now. Sometimes violently and he didn't fucking know how he acquired it. It was as though there was something inside his lungs he needed to expel.

"And it didn't work?" His friend asked. Draco let out another bark of coughing.

"What the fuck do you think, Nott?" He almost growled. "Fuck this."

Theo shook his head and patted his back, helping to ease his misery. "Looks like Professor Sinistra is going to be late."

"She better be." The blond drew a sharp intake of breath. It wasn't often that the most punctual professor in Hogwarts was uncommonly late but if she were, it'd either mean she would just come late or wouldn't appear at all. He hoped it was the latter.

"You alright?" Theo asked.

"Of course, I am." He snapped. "I'm just tired, is all."

Seconds later, a fifth year Hufflepuff knocked on their door and announced that Professor Sinistra and the rest of the professors were having an urgent meeting and that they could have their early lunch.

"Great." He chuckled dryly and scrolled his parchment.

"You coming?" Theo asked. "To the Great Hall?"

The blond shrugged. "No, I'll pass. I have something to discuss with my potion partner. I'll join you later though." He offered a small reassuring half-smile. Theo nodded and went away.

He cursed under his breath. Damn Granger and her penchant for meet ups. He didn't see her in this class though. Suspiciously, he didn't see the carrothead either. He only spotted Potthead at the back of the room conversing with Dean Thomas. His stomach twisted and he coughed again.

He fell arse-over-tit when he saw a pink petal flew from his mouth. His eyes bulged in shock and watched as the delicate petal land on the floor. He clamped his mouth shut with his palm and then fished his mirror from his pocket hastily. He looked at the inside of his mouth and searched whence the petal had come from.

He blinked slowly. _What the fuck._


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: The first chapter was quite disappointing. Ha ha I kno. I was planning it to be a bit longer but I was feeling really under the weather (it's the time of the month and I'm one of those females who get back pains ... and Idk why I'm telling this...).

Warning: There are a lot of swear words here so if you're sensitive and looking for something that's discreet, then this fic is not for you.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. I make no money writing this. Though I do own this AU soo... *shrugs*

* * *

Draco half-ran to the courtyard, the soles of his feet aching a bit from the effort. He was still dumbfounded about the petal though. Where on Earth did it come from? He was skeptical of the idea that the petal just fell down from the Tower's ceiling. As far as he knew, the place had no place for plants and the air was drafty. There was no way that a fresh pink petal fell down out of nowhere. Besides, he had witnessed it escape from his mouth. Its origin was, without a doubt, inside him. Quite literally.

"You've got to be shitting me." The blond scoffed, his eyes roaming the courtyard and realizing that Granger was nowhere to be seen. "Well, that bitch wasted my time for nothing."

He ruffled his hair irritatedly and turned his back with the intention of going to the Great Hall to finally eat his lunch. Why the fuck did Slughorn, that saggy-arsed senior, partner him with her? Granger, the self-righteous Queen of Muggleborns, of all people! They didn't get along with each other and he couldn't really blame her since they had had a rough history. He knew their partnership would be a failure. From the start, as soon as Slughorn announced their names, he knew that their work would be doomed. It was surprising when she managed to force him to meet up with her to discuss potions at the Courtyard.

He thought it would be the library but he made no protest. The courtyard air and view were pretty nice.

Weasel also voiced his unwanted opinions about their collaboration, sneering at him and telling him that his girlfriend would rather choose a passing grade than work peacefully with him. In Draco's delight, Granger smacked him on the head and reprimanded him. It was enough for him that she find him agreeable enough to work with although she seemed to keep her distance. What with the scorching glare of her fuckwit useless redhead boyfriend and the fleeting glances of protective Gryffindors as though he'd pounce on her at any moment, he couldn't really communicate with her properly.

"That's fast." Theo commented, taking a bite of his chicken. Draco sat himself across him and started filling his plate.

"I didn't find Granger." He replied curtly.

"Lucky you. She's in here." Theo pointed the Gryffindor table. "Sat with the Weasel. Disgustingly cuddling him."

The blond groaned. "Don't tell me she's snogging him too."

Theo's lips quirked. "Unfortunately."

Draco pretended to gag. He ended up coughing again though. "That cough." Theo began. "You should really let Madam Pomfrey check up on it."

The blond continued to hack his lungs out and he ducked under the table as he felt a hoard of petals come out from his mouth. He gripped the edge of the table in hopes to alleviate the pressure of his chest but it worsened when he accidentally glanced at the young Golden couple.

He fisted the petals, crumbling it in the process. "Draco!" A feminine voice rushed in to pat his back.

"Fu—ck off." He choked and stood up to make his way to the restroom. He could feel hundreds of eyes on him and heard the hall go silent. His violent coughing the only sound audible. Theo casted a silencing charm on him and helped him exit the blasted room.

"That's IT! I'm taking you to the infirmary. No more buts, arsehole."

Draco wanted to say piss off but his throat and lungs were preventing him to say anything intelligible. It was as if he had a fucking flower shoved down his throat. He clutched the edges of the sink and hacked violently. He held onto his throat with both hands and bellowed. He could see his whole face red from effort, a vein almost popping on the left side of his forehead.

Theo, who was clutching his hair in panic, patted his back. "Should I call for someone? Of course, I should call for someone!" He said. "But I can't fucking leave you. You looked like you've —"

"Ghut— the vuk —up!" Draco said in between his coughs. Theo stared at him in shock as pink and blue petals began to expel from the blond's mouth.

"Holy fuck..." Theo's jaw dropped.

An amalgamation of all houses congregated in the rest room and the blond hid his torture. "What the fuck are you looking at? Call the infirmary old hag in!" Theo exclaimed, referring to madame Pomfrey. "Now!"

A sixth year Slytherin ran to call the nurse. Draco made a guttural noise from his throat and moved his hand to catch the thing that had come out from his mouth. He felt thorns and he looked down, his eyes blurred.

"... a fucking rose?" His voice was low and growling. It stung him.

"What happened, young Malfoy?" Slughorn entered, parting the students. His wrinkly hand clutched the blond's shoulder concernedly and he looked down at the rose his protege was holding.

"I reckon someone's cursed him, Professor." Theo answered for him. He pointed at the sink that was filled with rose petals. The potions professor looked at it in shock before he looked at the two Slytherins grimly.

"I think I may be of help."


	3. Chapter 3

You see, the vomiting was the easy part but accepting that you're inlove (which you were not bloody aware of) was the hard part. It's not everyday that a young man in the age of 19 vomits petal or a whole fucking rose with the stems, petals, thorns and all that shite. What's worse, he wasn't aware that he had feelings for someone! How bloody ridiculous! Now, he found himself sitting on potions class while his mentor and best mate fussed over him.

"Since when did you _have_ this?" The old man inquired.

"What this exactly are you talking about? I, chucking out a whole flower or having Nott as a companion?" The latter statement was quickly accompanied by an offended 'Oi' from Theo. The blond massaged his throat crossly and glared at the both of them.

"Young Malfoy." Slughorn said warningly.

"Alright. Alright." He relented, rolling his grey indignantly."This is the only time I've had this and I have no idea why it happened. I'm ninety five percent sure Daphne Greengrass did this to me after I bailed on our date last week." He received accusatory looks from both men. "What? I had fucking Quidditch practice, okay? I'd rather train to beat Potter's arse than to sit in front of a candlelit dinner and make googly eyes at Greengrass to ensure myself a next generation of Malfoy pureblood heirs." He growled. He didn't want to speak anymore. For fuck's sake, his voice was raw and sounded as if he had been possessed by hundreds of evil spirits.

"This only happened to you _once?_ " Theo asked.

"Don't you damn think I would have known if I've had this earlier, you imbecile?" Draco quipped. "Like I said, this is the only day I vomited _those_."

Slughorn looked thoughtful for a moment. His eyes glassy as if he was reminiscing something  
"I've heard of this when I was younger but I didn't know it was actually _true._ "

"I beg your pardon?" Draco asked.

"Mr. Malfoy, are you inlove with someone?" The potions master asked solemnly. His face a mask of seriousness.

"WHAT?" The blond Slytherin almost slipped from his chair. "Inlove? With whom? Had I known I was inlove, I would have fucking known, _wouldn't I?"_ Merlin, was he surrounded by idiots?

"I shall be taking points from you, Mr. Malfoy, if you dare to swear in front of me again." Slughorn scowled.

"I apologize." Draco raised his brows. "It can't be _bloody_ helped."

"Ten points from —" The old man was cut off by the apology of the young Malfoy.

"Draco, quit being a smartarse. Professor's trying to help you." Theo hissed, concerned for his best mate's welfare.

Draco messied his hair. "No. I can assure you that I'm not inlove with someone. Not in current that is. However, I'll let you know if I am."

"Perhaps, you're in denial." Theo suggested. "You're inlove but you won't acknowledge it." Slughorn nodded in agreement.

Draco scoffed. "Please do tell how me being inlove with someone connects with my flower vomiting. I'm _dying_ to know the reason behind all this rubbish." Then he added dryly, "literally."

As far as he knew, he hadn't felt anything distinct that could be classified as being _inlove_. Where were the butterflies in the stomach that he heard Astoria say about him when she thought he was out of earshot? Where were the longing glances and the sweating palms? Especially, where the fuck was the _supposed_ object of his affections?

"It's called the Hanahaki disease, Mr. Malfoy. The rarest of the rarest. It originated from Japan. The symptoms of having it is coughing up flower petals or the flower _itself._ Most cases reported were about the victims suffering from one-sided love —"

"Bullshite." Draco spat, cutting of the potions master's little speech. "That's fucking bullshite and you know that. I'm not inlove nor I'm suffering from one-sided shite. I've been cursed and it hurts like hell." He stood up and eyed the occupants of the room icily. His body tensed up like a bow.

The room fell into silence. "Well?" Draco gritted out coldly. "Is there a cure for this nonsense?"

It took milliseconds before Slughorn answered. "There are three options. One is ending it by making your beloved love you back _romantically_. Two is ending it by death. And lastly is ending the infection through surgical removal. Although the only harm is that your feelings for that someone will disappear. I can not promise you, Mr. Malfoy, that the surgery will be successful if —"

He was cut off by a piercing laugh from the blond.  
"I. Am. Not. In. Love." Then he retreated with an air of stubbornness.

* * *

Hermione Granger. She was the first thing to come to his mind when he slumped down on one of the courtyard's benches. He was being defensive but it was true. He wasn't inlove. No, he wasn't. Because if he was, he would be aware. But why did her face flash into his mind when Slughorn told him about the _Hanahaki?_ His face crumpled into an ugly frown.

He was cursed. Maybe drugged. But he was sure as hell wasn't suffering from not being loved back because that was pathetic and sad.

"Oh, hello, Malfoy." Loony Lovegood greeted him and shamelessly dared to seat beside him as though they were best pals for years. "Your head is infested with wrackspurts. I have the right equipment to get rid of it."

He ignored her. He wasn't planning on entertaining a barmy Ravenclaw.

"Hmm, you're in deep thoughts." Loony observed and he fought the urge to roll his eyes. "And you have a stupid grin on your face. Are you thinking about Hermione?"

It was the second time this day he had almost fallen on his butt. "Herm — what?" He sputtered.

"Hermione." Loony blinked. "You're thinking about her, right?"

"Loony, as much as I'm repulsed by your presence and suggestion, I'm not thinking of that bushy-haired muggleborn." He didn't have the energy to sneer at her. He just looked at her blankly.

"Well, it's okay if you're embarrassed. I mean, I'd be embarrassed to admit that I fancy Harry Potter too." She waved her hand dismissively. "It's just what the wrackspurts are telling me."

He grumbled. "Piss off."

"I saw your little episode earlier this lunch." Loony informed him, continuing to talk like she'd known him for years.

"Apparently, that's none of your business, Lovegood." He replied, looking at his hands.

"Correct but if I may, I think I could enlighten you about your plight." She offered.

"I prefer to be left alone, if you don't fucking mind." He hissed.

His words flew over her head. "You might already know what it's called. Hanahaki, yes? —" he stood up and insolently walked passed her. His face dark and his jaw clenched.

Loony followed, her dirigible plum earrings swaying. "It must be painful to feel not to be loved back by _her_ , Malfoy."

Oh for fuck's sake, this was getting preposterous.  
"I'm not inlove, you little bitch!"


	4. Chapter 4

He was resting his head on the common's room table when Astoria Greengrass approached him. Her green eyes searched his face before she smiled shyly at him. "Astoria." Draco tried to smile back but his smile only turned out to be a grimace.

"I assume you're well?" She asked politely.

He shrugged noncommittally. "To be honest, I don't know how I'm doing."

"I saw what happened earlier." She said quietly. "I do hope it's not something detrimental."

"Oh, no, it's not. It's just what I ate earlier, thank Merlin." He blinked languidly. They had been on friendly terms ever since his sixth year started. He wanted to think she was befriending him because of his galleons and dashing good looks but the girl simply wanted to have a chat and a boy friend. Notice the space between the two words?

Not surprisingly, the girl was amiable and had most of the merits he expected of her as a pureblood maiden. "Well, you sounded like you were dying." She teased. "I hardly think your state was innocuous."

He rolled his eyes. "I assure you, milady, that I'm fine." She raised a delicate brow. He flinched. "Perhaps just a bit tired."

She patted his shoulder. He noticed her touch was longer than usual. He ignored it. "You better rest then. I'm off to my quarters to practice on charms." She feigned a sigh. "... and listen to my sister's _adventures_ with her Ravenclaw boyfriend."

"Goldstein, isn't it? The one related to that Salamander guy?" He had to breathe a sigh of relief. He was damn relieved that Daphne quickly moved on. However, he was quite offended that she replaced him with a less sexier version of him and a _Ravenclaw._

"It's Scamander, you cad." She replied. "And yes, it's Goldstein. Salazar knows how I hate to listen to her. _Astoria, oh how I loved how his hands molded into mine. Oh, little sister! Anthony gave me flowers this morning! Tulips, sister! Tulips! How did he know my preference?_ I swear," she smirked tiredly. "I will camp out and transfer to your dorm if she ever confides to me again."

"Greengrass," he mocked. "Is that an excuse to see me sleep?"

"Why, Malfoy! Such a heavy accusations! I would never!" She pretended to gasp.

He chuckled lightly and quietly and her eyes sparkled. "I better rest." He stood up.

The girl looked disappointed. "Yes, yes, you better rest. See you in a bit though." Then she was gone.

He scratched his nape and glanced upstairs, where his dorm was residing. He had no plans to rest. At least, not yet. He could hear his bed beckoning him to lie down and close his eyes but no! It will not prevail.

He rubbed his eyes.

Merlin, he sounded like a posh arsehole inside his head.

Draco groaned, remembering that he had rounds with Ernie MacMillan and he'd most likely endure an hour of infuriating incessant blubber. Really, he found it pathetic. But it was better than having Weasley as a partner.

"Let's get on with it, if you please, MacMillan. I'd also appreciate it if you keep your babbling to yourself." He drawled, hands inside his pockets.

"Malfoy, you're early." The Hufflepuff chirped.

He shot him a withering glare. "Well? What are we waiting for?"

"Hermione." The dirty blond-haired boy answered. "She'll be my replacement since I have detention with Filch tonight."

He tried hard to keep his jaw firm. "What?" He sputtered. "Granger? Are you kidding me, MacMillan? Why her?"

"She volunteered, you see." He said, matter-of-factly.

 _Fucking_ _Granger and her charity,_ he thought crossly. "If that's the case, she's late."

"As a matter of fact, I arrived just in time, Malfoy." A feminine voice interrupted his musings. He gulped. "You can proceed to your detention now, Ernie. I got this." She said to the Hufflepuff who muttered his thanks and disappeared.

He turned around to see Granger, still in her Gryffindor robes. Her bushy hair was tied into a ponytail and wisps of it escaped. With her hair out of the way, he could see the tiny adorable freckles on her nose and the light in her brown eyes. He clenched his hand inside his pockets before he nodded.

"Good evening." She greeted professionally.

He greeted her in return.

They started patrolling. An awkward silence hung around them but she seemed oblivious and continued doing whatever her thing was.

Meanwhile, he was sweating all around. His neck was sweating. His palms were sweating. Merlin! Even his armpits were sweating! Goddamnit, Hogwarts was hot tonight. He regretted not shedding his robe off. He shot a glance towards the Headgirl who appeared all right with the temperature and even had the gall to rub both of her arms and shiver.

"You cold?" He asked quietly.

"I'm quite alright." She assured him.

"Warming charms usually do the trick." He offered though he wished she'd decline.

"Thank you." She replied gently, looking at him shortly. "But I'd manage."

He kept silent for a while before he spoke, "You didn't turn up this afternoon, Granger. Been busy, haven't you?" He insinuated. She blushed and looked away.

"I-I..." she cleared her throat. "I lost track of time."

"You lost track of time?" He said, beyond amused. "You've forgotten our _academic_ meeting to simply snog your boyfriend?"

She glared at him hotly and raised her cute button nose in the air. "Snogging my boyfrined is hardly your business, Malfoy." She replied, narrowing her eyes.

He smirked at her behavior. "Right."

She pinched the bridge of her nose, as if exasperated at his teasing, before shaking her head. "Perhaps, we could talk about potions now. If that's okay with you?

He casually tipped his head in agreement. "Fire away, princess."

She gaped at him before she composed herself and started talking. "Since we're tasked to record the progress of the potion we're told to create, if you don't mind, I'll collect the ingredients and brew the potion myself—"

He cut her. "While I stand there and watch you do our project?" He sent her a bored yet irritated look. "What do you think I am, Granger? I'm not useless like Longbottom or Weasley. I excel at Potions. Better than you, might I add." He didn't want to admit he was offended by her assumption. It was bloody selfish and presumptuous of her to think that he hadn't the ability to brew a potion as simple as Draught of Living Death!

If you had Severus Snape as godfather, don't be surprise.

She huffed. "It's _my_ contingency plan, Malfoy. Let me finish. I thought about it considering your hatred towards our arrangement which might result in your lack of cooperation."

He paused walking and whirled to properly look at her. A pure look of vexation etched on his pale face. "What the _fuck_ makes you think that I won't cooperate?" He spat. "I am capable of brewing that damned potion even without your help, Granger. Thank you very much."

She sniffed. "Fine, then, you can accompany me tomorrow to collect the herbs and ingredients needed for the potions." She jabbed her finger on his chest. He backed away, looking amused as ever. "Don't be intentionally late.

He snickered. "Not planning to."

"Good." She looked satisfied with his answer.

* * *

"Ugh, Malfoy! You git! Stop that!" Hermione squealed as the blond launched another ball of mud towards her.

It was a cold day outside Hogwarts and the two were wearing their mufflers and sweaters.

He laughed and continued his digging. "Not my fault you're in the way. You're stepping in on the pile."

She flicked her hair haughtily and glared at him. "At least, I've found enough Valerian Sprigs!" She explaimed, pride in her tone.

"Or we could've just get them in the Hogsmeade Apothecary."

"That's not allowed, Malfoy." She frowned and brushed her brown fringe away from her face. He stared at her rosy pink cheeks before looking down at his shovel. He felt his cheeks heat.  
 _Merlin, she's so cute. Help me._

Clearing his thoughts, he growled. "This is unheard of. A Malfoy _digging..._ " he scrunched up his patrician nose in disgust. He could almost imagine his Grandfather Abraxas rolling in his grave.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh put a sock in it, Malfoy. I told you I'd be the one collecting all these. But no..." She continued muttering. Draco rolled his eyes and grinned as he found a Valerian Sprig.

" ... eight, ... nine! Done!" He counted, triumphantly, slapping his hands together and rubbing off the dirt. Hermione dropped her own shovel and smiled at the sprig he was holding.

"Brilliant! Now, where's the basket?"

"Here." He handed it to her. Their gloved fingers brushed but the blond still managed to widen his eyes in trepidation. Hermione casually fixed all the ingredients and scourgified their mess.

"So, umm, may I ask a favor, Granger?" He asked distractedly. She hmmed while checking the basket if something was missing.

"You tutor other students, right?" He inquired.

Hermione looked up. "If time tends to be magnanimous, yes." She replied.

"Can you," He bit the inside of his cheeks. "Can you tutor me for a few weeks? I'm failing behind a bit in History of Magic." Which was a half-lie. If bloody Binns weren't such an unstimulating educator, then he wouldn't have slept during his unimaginative lectures.

She was taken aback, to say the least.

Draco felt lurching his stomach again. "I mean, it's quite alright if you—"

"No!" She hurriedly said and bit her lip. "Sure. That would be lovely. Library? Every night after dinner, would that be alright?"

He must'd looked like a fool in front of her. Flustered and flushed. He gulped and nodded coolly. "Great."

Was it selfish of him that he felt victorious having her time stolen so she'd have less time with her pathetic excuse of a boyfriend?

 _Once upon a time, there was a Prince and a Princess. They returned side by side to the big castle._

 _And no, there was no happily ever after._


	5. Chapter 5

Draco Malfoy was called many names in his life. Ferret, albino, git, prat, manipulative bastard. Name it. However, 'inlove' was never one of them. Of course he believed in love. He's not the typical fictional male who refused the existence of _love_ and later ended up being a sappy, starry-eyed bloke. He hoped to find love someday and he highly doubted it because of his duty to fullfill as the Malfoy heir.

His parents were still holding on to the idea that blood first before anything else. Still bigoted fuckwits they were, no disrespect intended, and snobs. His father was currently attempting to find him a pureblood wife. Lucius already portkeyed to bloody Spain to confabulate with a couple of pureblood maidens.

It was no shock to him that Lucius avoided the wizarding Britain. The inbreeding was a turmoil. Did he mention that his parents were distant cousins? No, it was best to be left unsaid. Why the fuck did he mention that?

Anyway, with the inbreeding around, squibs and miscarriages were common. It had been a secret practice between families of the Sacred Twenty Eight until the nineteenth century that squibs were eliminated or abandoned upon their birth. A quick magical scanning spell usually did the trick.

It was called _the cleansing_ but it stopped just before Grindelwald rose to power. He didn't know but perhaps they realized the error of their inhumane ways. Even the _Weasleys_ _,_ he recalled, were known participants to such practices. If they weren't prejudiced lots, then, answer this, how did they remain purebloods for hundreds of years?

They were a hypocritical bunch.

So there his fate lies,... in the hands of his prick of a father. Oh the horror.

"Hey, how's my best mate doing?" Theo grinned, plopping across him.

He threw a sullen glare before he returned to his reading.  
"Quite good." He gritted out.

"You looked like you've slept fine this time." Theo noted, wetting his thumb to turn a page. "Have you vomited recently?"

Draco rolled his eyes and waited for five seconds before answering. "False alarm. I am almost certainly drugged."

Theo frowned. "Oh?"

" _Almost certainly."_ Draco repeated, emphasizing the words.

"So you're in love?"

He shot him a look of disdain. "Don't call it that." He snapped. "It sounds stupid and —" he gagged, the word love made his mind project hearts and candies.

"What do you fancy calling it then?" Theo laughed. He was shushed by Madam Pince who was hovering nearby.

"Can we change the subject, Nott?" He said irritatedly. Sensing the blond's mood, Theo nodded and raked his hands through his hair.

"Whatever you say, you grouch."

* * *

He was reading about the Hanahaki lore in the library when Granger plopped herself beside him and asked about his well-being. He smirked at her and hid the book from her sight.

"Well, hello there, Granger." He greeted smoothly.

She shook her head. "You're early. Didn't see you at dinner either."

"I wasn't feeling very hungry." The truth was, he'd been spending his time here in the library for quite some time. After every dismissal, he'd head here to mull over his situation and read about the _disease_ they believed he was possessing. It was useless, really. The book he'd been reading had very limited information about said disease and what's worse — it was the only book he had found concerning the bloody thing.

"Soo," she trailed off. "Reading Japanese lores, huh?" She pointed at his book.

He shrugged. "I, well, uh, it was the first book I grabbed from the shelves." He answered lamely.

"Is it any good?"

He snorted inwardly. He was the only girl he knew that would ask if a book were any good. "If you're into it, I reckon." He fished his A History of Magic book from his bag. "Shall we get started?"

She smiled. He was a sucker for smiles like that.

"... no, he modified it. An ancient unknown wizard _invented_ the spell." Hermione rectified, scratching her quill against the parchment. For half an hour, Draco listened to her mutterings and decided he rather enjoyed the way her mouth move and eyes sparkle passionately.

He felt his lips quirk into a smile.

Trust the bushy-haired know-it-all to find History interesting.

"... and what are you smiling about, Malfoy?" Her voice pulled him away from his thoughts and he was forced to look at her in the eye. Masking his flustered countenance, he smirked at her before archly saying, "I hate' from hate away she threw, And saved my life, saying—'not you."

The Gryffindor's eyes widened and cheeks turned pink. Never had Draco seen such an amusing and endearing sight.

"Did ... did you just quote Shakespeare?" She asked him.

"Yes." He answered, mind buzzing at what he was about to do. He leaned into her until their noses touched and felt her breath quicken. "Sonnet 145, lines—"

"13-14." She answered breathlessly.

"Ever the bookworm." He murmured, maintaining eye contact with her. He was on the precipice of finally kissing her when she placed her small hands on his chest and pushed him roughly away. She stood up, eyes wide in shock.

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?"

The Slytherin blinked, shaking his head lightly. "I..." he didn't want to fucking apologize. He wasn't damn sorry about it, goddamnit. "I thought it was obvious." He drawled and eyed her. "I was going to kiss you."

She stood in front of him for awhile. Assessing if he was playing a joke on her. "I have a boyfriend." She said.

Draco pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling his lungs getting that strange feeling again. "I'm aware."

"I intend to stay that way." She added, scowling a bit now.

He fixed his neck tie and stood up to tower over her. "I'm going to damn kiss you, Granger." He couldn't tell if she was in shock. He lifted her chin and watched as her lashes fluttered.

"Arse." She said shakily.

"He won't know." With that, he crashed his lips onto hers.


	6. Chapter 6

He felt as though his body was lit on fire. Burning and yet cocooned by warmth and desire. His lips caressed hers with fervor and hope filled him when she returned kiss with equal ardor, circling her arms around his neck and accepting his sensual tongue sliding in her mouth. He stepped forward and she stumbled lightly as she adjusted her body against the table.

"M-Malfoy..." she murmured breathlessly, leaning away, her voice confused.

The Slytherin shook his head and leaned in to capture her swollen lips once again. She spoke in between his kisses. Protests that went utterly lost and ignored. _She was here. He was kissing her. There was no need to use her pretty little mouth with words that would completely destroy their moment._

"Granger, for once, shut the fuck up." He whispered and kissed her jaw softly. Her breath hitched and he felt her form trembling.

"T-this is wrong." Her voice was unsteady. Draco stopped his movements and looked at her intensely. She now held her infamous glare in place. "Step away, Malfoy, if you please." She said.

Though begrudgingly, he extracted himself from the Gryffindor and watched as she gained her bearings. Her hands were shaking as she packed her books and ink bottles in haste. He wanted to say something but he found himself wordless.

He blinked and clenched his hands. _What the_ _fuck_ _did he just do? What had he done? He just kissed Granger!_

His eyes bulged in realization and he closed his eyes.

"Same time tomorrow?" He asked, finally opening his mercurial eyes to gaze at the witch.

"Are you serious right now, Malfoy?" She asked incredulously. "Do tell me you are because I'm in need of a great laugh." She slung her bag on her shoulders and crossed her arms.  
He found it really hard to focus with her pink cheeks and swollen lips.

"I don't why I did that, Granger. I think I'm going insane." He admitted.

Her expression was still hard. He knew she didn't buy it. "You sick prick..." she trailed off.

"You're a hypocrite, princess." He mocked. "You liked it. You liked what I fucking did to you."

Her face flushed in anger and her hair bristled with magic. "I did not!" She denied and was about to speak more when he cut her off.

"Yes, you fucking did." He snapped. He trailed his finger through his locks and scowled at her. "Your tongue can attest to that fact."

She gaped at him in shock before turning away and running out of the room. He shook his head. He had never been this confused in his life and fucking hell, he had been friends with Crabbe and Goyle.

* * *

He was confident it was the side effects of that fucking Hanahaki. It was impairing his thoughts and making him lose his inhibitions. He wasn't in his right mind when the impulse struck him. My god, he never had an impulse to quote Shakespeare to her (or to anyone!). Let alone bloody kiss her.

Maybe he should try seeing someone out. No, not dating. That sounded too personal. Just seeing someone out. Like accompanying her to a Hogsmeade trip or perhaps kissing her senseless when he thinks no one is watching. Fucking anything to make his thoughts scarce of a Gryffindor and her wild bush of a hair.

It was three weeks after the incident when he finally got the courage to ask Astoria out. They were friends. Both purebloods and were er... related to each other ... distantly, of course. It wouldn't be awkward.

Or so he thought.

It didn't mean that the girl was dull. Because she definitely wasn't. To him, whatever affections he was trying to imply was forced and he felt guilty for giving her false hopes.

Not soon enough, however, she started labeling him as her boyfriend. Imagine his mounting horror when she introduced him to the whole Slytherins that they were dating. His face an awful shade of puce. He inwardly palmed his face. It shouldn't have come a surprise that she viewed him as her boytoy. He carried her bag and took her to her classes regularly. It actually became a routine.

He avoided Granger, too, or rather she avoided him. Of course, their potions project was working quite successfully and they hadn't spoken a word during their sessions.

And to update on his health, his vomitting continued. Would it always be roses? Couldn't it be something like santan or tulips? Maybe he should just be thankful that it wasn't the goddamn rafflesia he was hacking out his lungs because goodness knows he'd be on his wake before he could even cough that shite.

"... hey, Draco." Astoria said, taking a seat beside him after dropping a kiss on his cheeks.

He blinked and diverted his eyes away from the Gryffindor table. "Tori, how's your day?"

"I do hope it's as good as yours." The girl grinned.

He dryly chuckled. "Trust me, you wouldn't want your day to be like mine."

Her face contorted into concern. "What happened?" She touched his forehead and Draco felt a wave of irritation passed through him. He wanted to swat her hand away.

"I'm fine, Tori." He turned his head away from her prying digits.

She frowned deeply, disapproving of his actions. "You're in one of your moods again." She stated than asked.

"What do you mean by that?" He snapped.

"Don't be daft, Draco." Her tone was chastising. "I'm your girlfriend. I pretty much know what's going in on your little head all the time."

He scoffed. "You know little about me, Tori."

He ignored her step back and the flash of hurt in her lovely features. "Talk to me when you're done being a temperamental prat." She hissed before stomping out.

He ran his hands through his hair and sighed heavily.

"That's not nice." Theo said, sipping a drink from a cup.

"Since when am I not _un_ nice?" The blond drawled.

"Touché, sir. Touché indeed. Still though," he put his cup down and reached for a green and red apple from the basket. He threw the green one to Draco. "You were awful to her. She's your girlfriend—" The blond grunted at the reminder. "And she's only concerned to you. Get use to it and stop being an asshole to her. She's a catch. Even to the non-pureblood men."

"Oh, how about to _you?"_ Draco smirked.

Theo snorted and took a large bite out of the apple. "Nope." His 'p' a resounding pop. "I mean, don't get me wrong Astoria's gorgeous and all, but she's not really my type. You can have her."

Draco looked at him, amused. "Of course, I can have her. She is, afterall, my girlfriend."

"See? Draco, you're admitting to yourself that she's a fundamental part of your life."

Draco shook his head. "I wouldn't say fundamental." He poised the apple to his mouth and licked the surface. Just in time when the the Golden Couple of Hogwarts came in.

His and her eyes locked and he bit into the apple hard. He watched her wince and turn her head away. He felt a smirk creeping in the sides of his lips and he licked the corners of the bitten apple clean.

He paid no attention to the hoard of petals clawing their way through his throat.


End file.
